Always
by SharkiesGirl
Summary: The beautiful flower escaped his reaching hand and began to drift quickly along with the wind. The boy released a small gasp as he stood up and ran after it. The flower, though, always hovered out of reach.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything that is already someone else's.

**A/N: **Thankyou to Paloma Latina for having the picture that inspired this fic and for beta'ing this for me: I like it better now, Beck.

**For: **Tigger – I was too young to say goodbye.

The swing swayed ever so slowly, back and forth, back and forth. The harsh wind pushed it higher and higher, yet there was no child to sit on it and squeal in delight. The boy sat under a large tree and watched. His peculiar clothing went unnoticed in the otherwise abandoned park. He watched the swing rock quietly as if it wished somebody would hop on.

Tears silently poured from his face and splashed against the flower he held in his hand. He wiped his eyes on the back of his arm. At that moment, a strong gust of wind wound through the park and lifted the flower out of his loose grasp. The beautiful flower escaped his reaching hand and began to drift quickly along with the wind.

The boy released a small gasp as he stood up and ran after it. The flower, though, always hovered out of reach. He ran along, his arm reaching, reaching. Another strong gust of wind drove the flower faster and soon, out of sight. The boy gave up, and let out a whimper.

He returned to the bush behind the swings and plucked another flower, this one not quite as beautiful. He slowly returned home.

--

Lily came out from behind a tree, her cheeks tear-stained, her hair a mess from the torment of the wind. She stared after the boy, a memory playing through her head; teasing her, taunting her.

_"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"_

The boy had said it. The boy, Severus, was her friend, but not anymore. No. Lily had tried to rid him from her mind and now he was only a memory. What she didn't share with anyone, was that those were her happiest memories.

--

_ "Lily..?" _

_Silence._

_"Lily, are you okay?" James asked his wife as he entered their son's bedroom. Lily was watching Harry sleeping silently. She watched as his chest rose and fell, counting every breath he took. He was hers. As was James. _

_"I'm fine, James." _

_"No, you're not. I can tell," he replied. Her eyes began to water as she remembered the reason why she wasn't fine. "Oh, Lily. It's okay." He held her in his arms and she buried her face in his chest._

_"I love you, you know," she sobbed and James nodded. "It's Sev, James. Why can't I get him out of my head?"_

_James took in a deep breath, before answering a patient Lily, "With all of this war-business going on we all start to look back on our actions, our past, the things we have done." He paused. "We think of our past friends, and we want them to be safe."_

_Lily accepted his answer, gave him a kiss and they both walked to the lounge room, holding hands._

_--_

_Lily sat in her favourite spot on the couch that looked out towards the window. James was next to her, reading the __Daily Prophet__, his arm around her. Lily decided that the only way to put the past behind her was to write a letter to Severus. She began:_

_Dear Sev,_

'_The man with a clear conscience probably has a poor memory.' This was an old Muggle saying that my father used to tell me. I never really understood it, not until I grew older and had memories of my own. _

_My father also told me many things about forgiveness, and those were things that came to my mind after the incident in 5__th__ year. But I didn't listen to any of them. I tried to ignore them. _

_I've gone on with my life. I hope you have too, because I still hold you in my heart as the friend that I have never forgotten. _

_Now, I have a husband who I love so much, a son who is adorable; a family and also a fear. I fear that the next time I see you, you will be hidden by a mask, torturing innocent people, like your '__death eater'__ friends. I have heard rumours that you are one of them and I don't hesitate to believe them, which pains me so much._

_I can't ever forget you, Sev, and I don't ever want to. No, I haven't forgiven you, I can't do that either, no matter how much I want to. Maybe. Only time will tell if I can forgive you. But, until then, Sev…_

_Love Lily xx_

_Lily decided not to send the letter - it wasn't safe. Instead, Lily kept it safely in a drawer in the dining room which lay beneath Harry's room._

_--_

_After October 31st, all that remained of the letter were thousands of tiny pieces of paper._

_--_

_ "After all this time?"_

_"Always." Snape said. _


End file.
